1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a detergent composition having good foaming capability suitable for shampoos, body shampoos, and the like, and, more particularly, to a low-irritant detergent composition comprising an alkyi saccharide surfactant and a sucrose fatty acid ester, and, optionally, an anionic surfactant and/or an amphoteric surfactant. The composition is low-irritant to the skin and hair, producing excellent creamy foam.
2. Description of the Background Art
Nonionic surfactants have widely been used in detergent compositions for washing the skin and hair. Although nonionic surfactants possess an advantage of being less irritating, their foaming capability is inadequate for detergent compositions requiring good foaming capability, such as hair shampoos, body shampoos, and the like. Therefore, a large amount of nonionic surfactants could not be formulated into such detergent compositions.
Among nonionic surfactants, alkyl saccharide surfactants are known as having comparatively good foaming capability and used as a component of detergent compositions requiring high foaming capability (European Patent No. 70,074 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,656).
However, the use of a large amount of alkyl saccharide surfactants have a disadvantage of producing coarse and non-creamy foam when incorporated in a shampoo or a body shampoo which requires creamy foam.
Therefore, the development of a detergent composition exhibiting low irritation to the skin and hair and producing excellent creamy foam has greatly been demanded.
In view of this situation, the present inventors have undertaken extensive studies, and have found that a detergent composition comprising an alkyl sacchariae surfactant and a sucrose fatty acid ester, and, as required, an anionic surfactant and/or an amphoteric surfactant produced fine and creamy foam suitable for shampoos and body shampoos and, at the same time, was only slightly irritant to the skin and the hair.